This invention relates generally to a hitch and more particularly to a hitch of the type which is adapted to be mounted in the back of a pickup truck and is suited to connect with the kingpin of a fifth wheel trailer. The standard fifth wheel hitch has a main crossbar mounted between supports in the bed of a pickup truck. This cross bar is made with a rearward opening throat for receiving the kingpin on the gooseneck of a fifth wheel trailer. The cross bar is further supplied with a latching mechanism for engaging the kingpin. In this typical configuration the kingpin transfers the weight of the trailer vertically into the pickup bed. The king pin also bears the horizontal turning and pulling forces of the trailer.
The safety and handling characteristics of a truck and trailer combination is determined by three main factors. The first factor is the placement of the hitch point in the bed of the pickup. Ideally the vertical force or weight of the trailer should be born by the pickup directly above or in front of the rear axle of the pickup. If to much weight is placed on the rear of the pickup it will cause the front end to ride high. The front end riding high can cause several problem such as poor steering control, instability and improper headlight aiming as the front of the truck moves up and down relative to the road from the weight placed on the rear end.
The second factor determining ride and handling characteristics of a truck and trailer combination is the overall length of the rig. The shorter the length the greater the driver safety and ease of maneuverability. Shortening the length has the added advantage of also increasing the maneuverability of the truck and trailer combination.
The third factor effecting the handling and safety of a truck and trailer combination is the distance from the front of the trailer to the cab of the truck. Fifth wheel trailers, especially the Recreational Vehicle type trailers, are commonly designed with an overhang section made to ride above the bed of a pickup truck. This has the effect of increasing the overall interior room while minimizing the length of the truck and trailer combination. The overhang can create serious problems when making sharp turns. If the front of the trailer is to close to the rear of the cab of the pickup the two can collide when making turns. The converse of this is that the closer the trailer is to the cab the more stabile the combination will be when travelling down the road and the less likely it will be to begin swaying. Thus, the closer the front of the Recreational vehicle to the rear of the pickup cab the more careful a driver must be when making turns. Especially sharp turns when maneuvering into a tight spot such as a campground camping spot or in the case of a horse trailer a farmyard.
From these three factors it can be seen that it is important to keep the weight of the trailer forward in the front of the rear axle in the pickup bed. It is also important to keep the over all length of the truck and trailer combination to a minimum and to further minimize the distance between the truck and trailer to create a stabile combination for highway speeds. It is still further desirable to have a rig that has a sharp turning radius without fear of causing damage to the truck cab or trailer. This problem has been approached through complicated and expensive weight transfer mechanism designed to transfer the weight from the hitch point to the front of the truck box. It has also been addressed by making a hitch that is moveable having a position that is forward for road stability and rearward for tight turning and maneuvering in close situations.
These problems have all been made worse with the popularity of extended cab pickups and short box pickups. As the length of the box decreases it becomes increasingly difficult to optimize the above factor in relationship to each other.
For the foregoing reason there is a need for a inexpensive fifth wheel hitch that can place the weight in front of the rear axle of the truck, decrease the overall length of the entire truck and trailer combination, and keep the cab of the truck close to the front of the fifth wheel trailer. Thus, allowing for tight turns in close quarters with out fear of damage to either vehicle.